Once Endangered Wolves Now Hurting Idaho Elk Population

The feds recently turned control of wolves in Idaho over to the state. According to this video, the state has to keep the wolf population above certain levels to keep the lobos off endangered species lists. Problem is, in one specific area they’re hurting elk numbers.

Idaho did a state wide sport hunt for wolves, but by taking them from all across the state, the wolves in the Lolo zone have kept a big pack. And elk herds have been shrinking in that area for the last 25 years.

So the federal government (aka, the Gubmint) steps in when nationwide populations dip below a certain level. If that number is high enough, control goes to the state. This raises an interesting question: should wildlife management be handled on a more localized basis?

Seems to me like the Lolo conservation folks should be selling more wolf tags than in other parts of the state where wolves are hanging by a thread. They should also be selling fewer elk tags.

Think about it this way. There is no state-wide water municipality. That’s all handled locally. Even when it’s a co-op, sourcing, quality control, rationing (when necessary) is all handled region by region, city by city. Shouldn’t wildlife management be the same way?

Maybe this wolf case is a rare one. Maybe it isn’t. What situations like these are you seeing in your neck of the woods?

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About The Author

Hey here! My name is Bill Keystone is an avid outdoorsman from the great state of Missouri. I enjoy spending time outdoors Hunting and Fishing and blogging about it. Conservation has, and always will be important to me, and I am an advocate for successful land management and wetland restoration. Please feel free to leave a comment because I love talking about Hunting :)